Not only is the show about to launch its 10th season, but it has earned the industry’s highest honors. Parker and Stone have scored an Emmy plus a Peabody Award in the course of writing, drawing and generally keeping tight control of their pop-cultural touchstone.

Most notably, “South Park” is regularly blasted by those who would like to censor certain aspects of art and media.

As it ranges across social, religious and, occasionally, political issues, “South Park” never wavers from its tone of political incorrectness.

This year Stone (from Littleton) and Parker (from Conifer) visited just a few times. “Now I’m a Californian,” Stone said, “I skip over Denver and go to the mountains. But I still root for the Broncos.”

And Coloradans can root for the

local kids made good.

Outrageous moment No.1: The animated feature “South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut,” featured Saddam Hussein with life-partner Satan attempting to take over the world together.

Outrageous moment No.2: “South Park” mocked the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, namely Tom Cruise and John Travolta, in wicked satire.

Outrageous moment No.3: The boys tried to lampoon the controversy surrounding Muslims enraged by cartoon images of Muhammad. (Viacom wouldn’t let Stone and Parker put an image of Muhammad in the show. They responded by showing an image of Jesus Christ defecating on President Bush and the American flag.)

Oh, dear. You can almost hear the red state’s angry letter writers rushing to their keyboards.

Alongside their day jobs, Parker, 36, and Stone, 35, are working on a Broadway musical making fun of Mormons. The long- term project, a collaboration with “Avenue Q” writer Jeff Marx, mines the familiar terrain of lampooning organized religion.

“I wish we could do a movie every three years and graduate to producing other people’s stuff,” Stone said. “That’s part of growing up” – a process the pair approach with ambivalence. “I don’t know. Should we do a movie? People who work in TV are cooler.”

“South Park” is such a pacesetter in satirical humor, it was featured in Conan O’Brien’s opening montage at the Emmy Awards last month – notably the animated depiction of Cruise in the episode titled “Trapped in the Closet.”

In March, after the sketch first aired, Scientologist and longtime cast member Isaac Hayes, who was terrific for years as the ladies’ man Chef, quit the series. Hayes claimed the satire had spilled over into bigotry toward the religious beliefs of others.

At the time, “South Park’s” Stone shot back, “This is 100 percent having to do with (Hayes’) faith of Scientology. … He has no problem – and he’s cashed plenty of checks – with our show making fun of Christians.”

This week, Stone said, “I would like to know what happened to Isaac. It’s weird nobody has heard from him lately, he never spoke publicly about it.”

Stone and Parker selected their 10 favorite “South Park” episodes for the new “‘South Park’ The Hits: Volume 1” DVD, in stores Oct. 3. The DVD includes four bonus episodes and “The Spirit of Christmas,” a never-released animated short.

The series begins its 10th season at 10 p.m. Oct. 4 on Comedy Central, with seven new episodes. The first includes a riff on the hit videogame “World of Warcraft.”

“We’ve been approached about being executive producers on a bunch of TV shows,” said Stone, though nothing has yet come of that. “We should, not just for financial reasons. We might be able to help someone make something better. … It’s part of that thing about growing up.”

He trails off, talking about what happens when anti-establishment guys grow older and more successful, like the aging Iggy Pop. “Can he really still be a punk rocker?” Stone asked.

“Luckily we never hated the system so much as we just made fun of the things we saw on TV.”

In Washington, there may be no more loathed profession than that of the lobbyist. The political thriller “Miss Sloane” paints a cynical behind-the-scenes picture of the great lengths to which paid advocates will go to advance a cause.

The Denver Art Museum plans to funnel a $25 million one-time gift into the estimated $150 million budget for renovating its iconic North Building in time for the structure’s 50th anniversary in 2021, officials announced Thursday.